Africa Notes

Geography.About 50 countries1/3 of all the worlds countries2nd largest continent in land area

Continent of Plateaus.Africa is a giant plateauPlateau - flat landmass higher than the surrounding land with at least one steep sideNarrow coastal plains extend inland less than 20 milesOne plateau follows the other as the land rises from west to east in a series of steps

Continent of PlateausEscarpment steep cliffs or slopes, separate the plateausThe highest and broadest plateaus and escarpments lie in the south and eastRivers turn into cataracts waterfalls, as they flow over the escarpmentsBecause of plateaus, Africa has the highest overall elevation of any other continentThe average elevation is 2000 feet above sea level

Mountains & Highlands

Not many mountainsAtlas MountainsDrakensberg MountainsMount KenyaMount KilimanjaroAfricas highest mountain

Great Rift ValleyGreat Rift Valley - valley that creates a Y shaped trench 3500 miles longSeries of faultsMt. Kilimanjaro famous of the rifts volcanoesSteep escarpments over a mile high

Pangaea.PangaeaTheory that all the continents were connected to form one large continentScientists believe the Great Rift Valley was created during violent movements that separated the continents and caused them to drift apart 180 million years ago

Deserts.Kalahari DesertLocated in south-central AfricaGrasses & palm treesBiodiversity many different types of plant & animal lifeNamib DesertSome of the worlds highest sand dunesAs little as inch rain per yearBeetles, lizards, snakes

Lake VictoriaSource of the White Nile River2nd largest freshwater lake in the worldLake TanganyikaStretches 420 milesWorlds longest freshwater lakeLake MalawiMany species of fish found in Lake Malawi that are not found anywhere else on earthLake VoltaFormed due to a dam on the Volta RiverLake ChadNo outlets to the sea

Rivers.NileWorlds longest riverZaire River2700 miles longCrosses the equator twiceCongo RiverFlows northward from Zambia & then southwest into Atlantic OceanNiger RiverEmpties into the Atlantic OceanZambezi RiverEmpties into the Indian OceanForms Victoria FallsExplorer, David Livingstone, name this after the British Queen VictoriaTwice the height of Niagara Falls

Climate.Western AfricaLies within the tropicsWarm temperatures throughout the yearAreas around the equator have arid climateSahel region of semiarid climate extending below the Sahara DesertMajor droughts can occur & causes widespread famine

Climate contSouthern AfricaTropical wet and dryWinds from Sahara bring hot, dry conditions in winterWinds from the ocean bring rain in summerGrasslands & grazing animalsDrakensberg MountainsCauses rain shadow effectCentral AfricaRainfall year roundDense tropical rainforestHome to many endangered species

Natural Resources.DiamondsFound in South Africa and ZaireGoldGeologists believe the worlds gold comes from South Africa and the Great Rift ValleyOilFound in Nigeria - member of OPECCacao Beans (coco)West Africa is worlds major source

Population.967 millionWorlds youngest populationAbout half of the people are less than 15 years oldWorlds highest birthrate - statistic that tells the # of babies born in a population

PopulationWorlds shortest life expectancy - average age people are expected to liveWorlds lowest economic growth rateHigh infant mortality rate - the # of babies that die in a populationWorlds highest population growth rate

Population Distribution.Uneven population distribution due to physical geographySparsely populated:DesertsMountainsDensely populated:Around lakes and riversFertile soilGood climates

Problems Facing the PopulationDue to a growing population, many regions in Africa are struggling to feed their populationFood production has declined due to:Loss of soil fertilityDroughtsFamine and malnutrition kill many AfricansFamine - severe food shortage for an extended period of timeOnly about 40% have clean drinking water

Problems.Many diseasesAIDS has become an epidemic - a disease affecting many persons at the same time, and spreading from person to person in a locationPoor medical care due to:Lack of doctorsLack of medical supplies and equipment

Very low Gross Domestic Product (GDP) - total amount of goods and services produced in a county in a yearLow per capita income - average amount a person earns in a yearVaries from region to region Sierra Leone - $530South Africa - $10, 270

Urbanization.Urbanization - the movement of people from rural to urban areasAfrica is the least urbanized continent but it is urbanizing at the fastest rateMost cities are located along rivers or near natural resourcesPeople often move to cities in search of jobsHousing shortagesNo electricity or running water

History.Great kingdoms ruled areas of West & Central AfricaTrading sitesGold, cloth, slavesIslam spread to region1400s Europeans began trading with AfricansTrying to find route to East AsiaTropical disease, few navigable rivers, and thick forests kept Europeans out

History.European Colonization1500s to 1800s the Europeans began trading with African societies for slavesEuropeans sold enslaved Africans to American colonistsThe slave trade existed for a long timeDisrupted families & societiesCoastal states became more powerful than inner savanna

The triangular slave trade:Europeans traded with Africans for slaves in exchange for goods like weaponsSlaves were taken from Africa to the colonies in the AmericasRaw materials grown in the Americas were taken to Europe to the manufacturing plantsMillions died during the Middle Passage- ocean journey from Africa to the Americas

History cont.David LivingstoneScottish doctor and missionaryOne of the first Europeans to explore the interior of AfricaFor 30 years, he explored and set up Christian missionsSent detailed reports back to Great Britain of the exotic wildlife and peopleThe stories from Africa made people very curious

European ColonizationMid-1800s slave trade was endingEurope was industrializing and needed resourcesEuropeans sought control of fertile African territories and resources

Scramble for Africa.European nations scrambled to make their claims in AfricaBy the 1800s, European nations divided up Africa and colonized itIn 1885, 14 nations met in Berlin to partition- or divide, AfricaBy 1914, European nations controlled 90% of AfricaEuropeans controlled most of Africa until the mid to late 1900s

History cont.LiberiaThe only free independent state in west AfricaEstablished in 1822 by freed Africans who were once enslavedReceived support from the U.S.This discouraged European powers from seizing it as a colonyOnly other free country was Ethiopia

History.Boer War 1899 to 1902Dutch vs BritishBritish were victoriousWhite minorities controlled South AfricaHeld political powerControlled the economy & owned most of the land

Post-Colonialism.Colonialism lasted less than 100 years1976 all African countries were independentEffects:Many ethnic conflictsWorkers shifted from agriculture to industry

HistoryApartheid official policies that forced black South Africans to live in separate areas and use separate facilities from white South AfricansAfrican National Congress pushed for end to apartheid1990 apartheid ended1994 Nelson Mandela elected first black president

Culture.LanguageOver 800 languages and dialectsSome originated in AfricaSome were brought by foreignersSome are a mixture of languagesLingua franca- universal language that trade and business is conducted inSwahili is the lingua franca of East AfricaMany countries still have the language of the European country that colonized them

Culture cont.ReligionMany ethnic groups have their own traditional religionsTraditional religions, Islam and Christianity each consist of about 1/3 of the religions practiced in AfricaAfrican religionsBelieve spirits of ancestors are importantSpirits are honored in ceremoniesAnimists believe in sprits of the natural worldIslamReligion of the SahelChristianityAtlantic coast

Housing

Housing South African slums

Market in West Africa selling fruitsFarmer and his laid-out field (needs to be located near water for irrigationFarmer plowing his field to grow crops (lack of technology)Typical business woman in South Africa where opportunities are greaterCopper mining in Central Africa

Agriculture.Most Africans still rely on agriculture to make a livingCash crops - grown to make a profitMillet & sorghum are staple crops drought resistantOther staple crops cassava, yams, cornDual economies some goods produced for exportation while others are produced for local people

Agriculture contFarming methodsCommercial farming- farming organized as a business produce cash cropsShifting farming- farmers move every one to three years to find better soilSedentary farming- farming conducted on permanent settlementsProblemsMost people cannot afford the machinery, technology and fertilizers to increase food productionFood shortages are a constant problem

Mining.Important economic activityVery dangerousWork long hoursMany poor Africans work in the mines to support their familiesMineral wealth has made South Africa one of the richest regions in the areaMost black South Africans do not benefit from this because the mines are owned by white South Africans or foreign companies

Industrialization.Manufacturing is not a big part of the economyObstacles to industrializationLack of capital - tools and equipment used in factoriesPolitical conflict (within countries and between neighboring ones)Not enough skilled workers

Environment.Famine is caused by:Rapidly growing populationsLack of capital (tools and equipment)Overdependence on cash cropsDesertification- transformation of arable (fertile) land into desertUsing land too much for grazing and farming causes erosionDroughts have impacted this tooCivil War is the biggest cause of famineUsed food as a weapon by burning the fields of their enemiesRelief agencies like the Red Cross would send food but it was often stolen by rebels or warlordsExample - the movie Black Hawk Down was set in Somalia

DeforestationThe destruction of forests for:Wood to exportBurn forests to clear land for farming or grazingFuelResults of deforestation:Deforestation may make the earth hotterCarbon dioxide holds in more heat than oxygenIncrease in carbon dioxide (since plants turn carbon dioxide into oxygen)Plants and animals are at risk for extinction- disappearance from the earth

Deforestation cont.Protecting rain forests and endangered wildlifeAs the population grows, farmers need more land for farmingTaking land from grasslands and forests where animals liveMany animals are becoming endangered because:Humans have pushed into the animals natural habitats living areasIncrease in hunting:Poaching illegal huntingElephants and rhinos (Tusks and horns are very profitable)Some countries have made huge game preserves to protect animalsEcotourism- tourism based on the environmentEcotourism has increased visits to preservesSome Africans object to preserves because they need the land and often dont profit from ecotourism

Current Issues.Slow economic developmentRapid population growthInternal war & conflictDeforestationExtinction of plants & animalsMalaria & HIV/AIDSGenocide intentional destruction of peopleRwanda (1994)Hutu vs Tutsi